title: Midkine is highly expressed in neuroblastoma tissues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuroblastoma (NBL) is a tumor from neural crest cells, and is the most frequent solid tumor in children. Midkine (MK) is a pleiotropin analogon, which is frequently expressed in neuronal and epithelial tumors and is a marker for a poor clinical outcome. The aims of this study were to assess MK expression in NBL and investigate the correlation with clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six specimens of NBL were stained for MK on a tissue microarray by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Fresh frozen tumor tissues were used for RNA isolation, and RT-PCR analysis for MK-mRNA expression was performed. Survival data, risk factors and disease stages were correlated with MK status assessed by IHC and RT-PCR analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MK-mRNA expression was found in the majority of the tumor tissues (75%), whereas MK protein could be detected only in 46% of the NBL by IHC. No correlation of MK status with survival, risk factors or disease stage was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority of NBL express MK-mRNA, whereas not all MK mRNA positive tumors showed also a positive MK IHC staining. The high expression of MK-mRNA expression might present a promising target for new adenovirus-based gene therapeutic approaches for the treatment of NBL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20 A, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. henning.fiegel@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Henning C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Fiegel
authors.forename: Jussuf T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kaifi
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wachowiak
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quaas
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aridome
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichihara-Tanaka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Jakob R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Izbicki
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erttmann
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kluth
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Till
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D000078792:Midkine; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C066254:MDK protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D000078792:Midkine